New WRC leader Ott Tänak is confident Oliver Solberg is ready for Rally1

Often, Ott Tänak isn't the easiest driver to work with. This is especially true during the heat of the moment. During a race, he can easily make himself inaccessible by making life difficult for interviewers. Once the tension has subsided, things are sometimes easier. In Estonia, after the official ceremonies, he reflected on his performance. "In a way, this 2^e place satisfies me, he explained. Before the race started, I expected to experience a rally demanding. Facing Thierry (Neuville) and Kalle (Rovanperä), we did our best this weekend especially to get this result. Even without my Saturday morning mistake Oliver (Solberg) would have been hard to beat. »

Although he had knowledge of the terrain and could only be motivated by the intense popular fervor around him, the Estonian was hampered by a Rally1 that did not meet his wishes. I was not surprised by the car's behavior, he confirmed. On these very fast roads with big bumps, we struggled to find precision and balance. We were missing several details to develop a better rhythm. I hope we learned some things and will be able to use them for Rally Finland. »

This country will in fact be the next destination of the WRC (July 31-August 3). The big news will be that Elfyn Evans will not be sweeping the road, something that hasn't happened since Rally Sweden. In Estonia, Ott Tänak took the lead in the competition with a 1-point advantage over Elfyn Evans. A double-edged sword. I'm happy to be the championship leader, he acknowledged, But on the other hand, it also means that we will have to open the road. We will have to see what the weather will be like in Jyväskylä. »

"It was a little humiliating."

Regarding the winner of the rally, if Ott had not wanted to broach the subject too much during the event, he was more talkative at the finish. Oliver completely deserves his victory, he said. While he had a good road position on Friday, he maintained an excellent pace afterward. While pushing hard, he was able to lead the race. It was a bit humiliating for all the regular WRC competitors. (smile), but he had the feel, confidence and control to do it"

The 2019 world champion had a similar journey to the one Solberg is currently experiencing. After several mistakes, Malcolm Wilson decided to no longer give him a ride in 2013. With no solution, the Estonian returned to his country to regain confidence and perfect his experience. He returned a year later... to M-Sport and he has remained at that level ever since. The course of his career gives Ott even more credibility when he states: " Oliver has been dominating WRC2 for some time now and his performance in Estonia demonstrated that he is now ready for Rally1. " Ott, like his colleagues, must come to terms with the fact that a new adversary will soon be in their way.  

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